As the Boston Red Sox enter a tricky offseason with respect to the 40-man roster, a number of names are under the microscope.
A couple of years ago, it would have been unthinkable to suggest that first baseman Triston Casas could be non-tendered. But the 26-year-old hasn't played a ballgame in 17 months, and there's no telling whether he'd be ready to go by opening day after ending the season injured once again.
So are the Red Sox thinking about cutting bait with Casas altogether, despite his relatively affordable arbitration projections? Insider Peter Abraham of The Boston Globe thinks it has to be on the table.
Is Triston Casas coming back to Red Sox?
On Monday, Abraham laid out the case for Casas to fall off the 40-man roster this winter based on the way the numbers are shaking out.
"Triston Casas would not be costly at $1.7 million (according to MLB Trade Rumors' projections)," wrote Abraham. "But the 40-man roster spot could be more valuable at this stage, given that he has not appeared in a game since May 2, 2025, because of injuries."
Casas' 2023 season, in which he was one of the best hitters in the majors after the All-Star break and finished third in Rookie of the Year voting, seems like ancient history at this point. His frustrating, injury-plagued 2024 season was still nothing compared to the trials and tribulations that have followed him since his patellar tendon tear last May.
In addition to the knee recovery, Casas has dealt with an intercostal strain that delayed any sort of rehab process this spring, then a wrist injury that required arthroscopic surgery in August. And with Willson Contreras firmly installed as the starting first baseman, he'd be scrapping for designated hitter at-bats if he ever came back.
Given that the Red Sox have seven guys on the 60-day injured list to account for when the World Series ends, including Casas, it won't be a surprise when some tough cuts take place. There's also the distinct possibility that, rather than non-tendering him, the Red Sox trade Casas for pennies on the dollar within the next month or two.
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